1. The Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for analyzing data. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for recording analog characteristics of data from a data line in a protocol analyzer.
2. Related Technology
In order for a communication system, such as a network or system bus, to be effective and operate at peak performance, it is often necessary to have an understanding of what is happening to the data in the system. One type of instrument used to achieve this goal and to understand what is happening in the system is a protocol analyzer or monitor. Protocol analyzers can provide a detailed view of what is happening in communication system environments. A protocol analyzer can be used to test or evaluate a communication system by automatically capturing data and then analyzing the captured data. A protocol analyzer is often embodied as a combination of hardware and software. Some example communication system environments in which a protocol analyzer can be used include a system bus, a storage area network (“SAN”), a local area network (“LAN”), or a wide area network (“WAN”).
There is often a desire to quickly resolve complex problems in communication system communications. While protocol analyzers enable a rapid resolution of complex problems, protocol analyzers can also identify potential problems and the conditions that lead to potential problems before potential problems become critical and negatively impact the performance of the communication system. The resolution of events or situations in a communication system that cause problems can enable users to more effectively design, implement, and evaluate their communication systems and their communication system components.
One approach to problem identification, analysis, and resolution in communications systems involves capturing a portion of the data traffic for review and analysis. In some cases, such data capture is performed in connection with an analyzer that includes various hardware and software elements configured to capture data from one or more data lines in the communications system, and to present the captured data in various formats to a user or technician by way of a graphical user interface or other presentation device. The captured data is often referred to as a trace.
The hardware of a protocol analyzer may include a tap that can be placed in-line in a data line of a network. A tap can also be non-intrusive. When an event occurs or is detected, a capture process is triggered. The capture process then captures data constituting the trigger event into one or more buffers. Examples of events that can trigger a protocol analyzer to capture data include the occurrence of certain bit patterns, protocol patterns, and network commands. Software typically provides processing functionality to sort through the one or more buffers and identify information related to the event that triggered the data capture.
Another type of instrument used to understand what is happening in a communication system is an oscilloscope, also known simply as a scope. A scope is a piece of electronic test equipment that creates a visible two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences. The horizontal axis of the display typically represents time, making the instrument useful for displaying periodic signals. The vertical axis typically shows variations in a signal characteristic, such as voltage. Scopes are often used by users to evaluate the analog signal coming across a communication system. This visual presentation of network traffic can help a user to diagnose the problems in the communication system traffic.
A scope can be used in combination with a protocol analyzer. However, working with separate protocol analyzer and scope devices is cumbersome. Further, correlating information obtained by a protocol analyzer and information obtained by a scope is also difficult.